Spoilery New Game of Thrones Season 5 Footage Reveals Jaime in a Surprising Location

We’ve got our first and best look at new and returning Season 5 characters in action and in costume. Caution! Here be spoilers!!

I’m serious, don’t look if you want to remain pure. You ready? You sure? Okay, here we go:

Hopefully that wasn’t anticlimactic for you! In case you need some help understanding what you just saw, that was behind-the-scenes footage of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Alexander Siddig (Doran Martell), DeObia Oparei (Aero Hotah), Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand), and, fleetingly, Toby Sebastian (Trystane Martell), and Nell Tiger Free (Princess Myrcella Baratheon). This is our first look at new members of the cast Oparei, Sebastian, Sidding, and Free (Myrcella, like her brother Tommen, was recast) in action and in character. They look absolutely incredible as does that Moorish set.

For those of you who haven’t read the books, here’s a little further context. Ellaria, Doran, Trystane, Aero, and for the last few seasons, Myrcella, are all residents of Dorne. You remember Dorne. It’s where your favorite bisexual spear fighter came from.

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In fact, most people in that room are related to the dearly departed Oberyn Martell. Doran is his brother, Trystane his nephew, and Ellaria is his grieving consort. Notice she’s unusually somber colors to reflect her bereavement and, while we’re on the subject of costumes, what do you think of Jaime’s flowing Dornish togs? No amount of dressing to impress will relieve the tension in the room for an interloping Lannister like Jaime. And that’s the real surprise of this footage. What on earth is Jaime Lannister doing in Dorne?

But even snobby book purists should be excited about Jaime going to Dorne. Not only because the rumor has Bronn accompanying Jaime which means we’ll get more of this dynamic.

But because, from a storytelling perspective, it makes much more sense. The book has a rather insignificant knight we show watchers haven’t met yet, Balon Swann, head off to Dorne to rescue Myrcella. It’s much smarter and more dramatic to put Jaime in a room with all those people who have reason to resent him. The ruling family gets the blame for Oberyn’s death, and it’s not as if Lannisters were welcome in Dorne to begin with.

If so, don’t let her reclining position fool you. All of Oberyn’s daughters (known collectively as the Sand Snakes) are extremely deadly. In going to Dorne, Jaime walked right into a nest of vipers. We’ll see how he manages to get himself out of this one.

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